ALBUQUERQUE, NM—JUNE 25, 2019—Albuquerque Downs opens its 56-date Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meet with a nine-race program on Friday, headlined by the 5 1/2-furlong, $50,000 Duke City Sprint Stakes for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds.

Post time for the first race is set for 6:05 p.m. (MDT).

Walker Stalker, a homebred Stroll gelding trained by Jose R. Gonzalez Jr. for Gallegos del Norte Racing of Albuquerque, will be making his first start since March 24, when he finished off the board in the 1 1/8-mile, $800,000 Sunland Derby (G3) at Sunland Park. Walker Stalker has earned $33,720 from from four races, all at Sunland Park, and his season record includes a third-place finish, four lengths behind winner Hustle Up, in the 1 1/16-mile, $100,000 Mine That Bird Stakes on February 24.

The 5-2 morning-line favorite, Walker Stalker drew post 4 and will be ridden by Alejandro Medellin.

Justin Evans, last year's leading Thoroughbred trainer, will send out two contenders, including Iron Britches for owner Tony P. Carnes, who claimed the Kentucky-bred gelding for $8,000 at Sunland Park on April 7. Iron Britches has won both of his outs since the claim, both against allowance company at SunRay Park.

Iron Britches drew post 2 and will be ridden by Irwin Rosendo.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. Myhotrodlincoln (Roimes Chirinos), 3-1
2. Iron Britches (Irwin Rosendo), 7-2
3. Sidney's Hope (Alfredo Juarez Jr.), 6-1
4. Walker Stalker (Alejandro Medellin), 5-2
5. Prince Pierce (Scott Stevens), 4-1
6. Its Five Somewhere (Frank Reyes), 8-1

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Evans will return to Albuquerque Downs to defend his Thoroughbred training title, as the veteran horseman has received 50 stalls in the track's stable area. The star of Evans' stable, Pendleton, is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Giant's Causeway owned by William Tomasic and Susan Tomasic. The gelding is coming off of a SunRay Park spring season during which he won three races by a combined total of 30 lengths, including the 1 1/8-mile, $75,000 San Juan County Commissioners' Stakes on June 2.

Evans is pointing Pendleton to two stakes during the Albuquerque meet, starting with the 7-furlong, $50,000 J.R. Malouff Handicap on July 13. New to The Downs' stakes schedule, the J.R. Malouff is a local prep for the track's signature Thoroughbred race, the 1 1/8-mile, $200,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap on August 3.

Evans has said that Pendleton will also be considered for a trip to California this summer, and that the 1-mile, $85,000 Harry F. Brubaker Stakes at Del Mar on August 31 is on the radar.

"The things he's showing now, he's one of the best horses I've ever had," Evans told Mary Rampellini of Daily Racing Form.

Evans is just one familiar name among the top returning trainers, which include Bart Hone, Nancy Summers, and Dick "Flaco" Cappelucci.

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For most of its season, Albuquerque Downs will present live racing on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights, starting at 6:05 p.m. (MDT), and Sunday afternoons, starting at 1:30. The schedule will change for the New Mexico State Fair portion of the meet in September.

"Our on-track attendance has really grown the last three years, and we're seeing a much younger crowd," said Albuquerque Downs president of racing Don Cook. "Fans have really responded to our night racing. It's like a big party out here on Friday and Saturday nights.

"Fans like the night racing, and I think our horses like it too," he added. "Our summer weather is much more pleasant at night."

Cook said that Albuquerque Downs has increased its number of ship-in stalls from 40 to 55, to accommodate horses that might ship in for selected races from regional tracks such as Arizona Downs, Ruidoso Downs, and Arapahoe Park near Denver.

"Based on the number of phone calls we've received, we expect a lot of horsemen to ship in and race here, even if they're not stabled here for the entire meet." Cook added.

Cook also said that he expects daily purses to average $152,000 per day during the first 55 days of the meet, which ends September 22. Purses will total $895,000 when The Downs hosts the American Quarter Horse Association's Bank of America Challenge Championships for the first time ever on Saturday, October 26.

The Downs' wagering format will basically stay the same, with the addition of a late double on the last two races.

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Albuquerque Downs Racetrack and Casino is located in the heart of Albuquerque at Expo New Mexico, the home of the New Mexico State Fair, and general admission and parking are always free (via the casino entrance on Louisiana and Central). For more information, visit abqdowns.com and click on the "Racing" link at the top of the homepage.